The broad objective of the present study is to provide an empirically-based understanding of significant interaction patterns in families with an alcoholic member. Overall, systematic evaluations are made of families containing an alcoholic father and of two, carefully selected control groups; for each family, audiotaped home interactions and videotaped laboratory interactions are made. Through the careful analysis of this multifaceted observation data, the proposed investigation hopes to make several important contributions: (1) to identify patterns and processes of marital-family interaction that differentiate families containing alcoholic versus psychiatrically-disturbed versus nonalcoholic, non-disturbed members; (2) to examine alcohol's impact on marital-family interactions in families containing alcoholic versus psychiatrically-disturbed versus nonalcoholic, non-disturbed members; (3) to describe children of alcoholic parents in terms of their general psychological status, role relationships with alcoholic and non-alcoholic parent, and impact on parental interaction.